Radial split ring seal for filtration systems

ABSTRACT

A radial seal is described for use in a filtration system having annular elements. The rings or annuli fit in a groove in an outer surface of a seal plate. Each annulus has an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of a cylindrical housing of the filtration system. A gap in the annulus has a width selected to enable the annular element to deform sufficiently to permit insertion of the at least one annulus into the cylindrical housing. Two or more annuli can be configured such that the gaps of the annuli are misaligned when both annuli are installed in the groove, thereby minimizing leakage in operation. A registration system includes a registration element that cooperates with a registration element of the other annulus to ensure misalignment of the gaps of the pair of annuli.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/913,959, filed Jun. 10, 2013, which is a Continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 12/902,424, filed Oct. 12, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No.8,728,213, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/250,771 filed Oct. 12, 2009, entitled “Radial SplitRing Seal For Filtration Systems,” and from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/250,765 filed Oct. 12, 2009, entitled “AxialLabyrinth Seal for Filtration Systems, which applications are expresslyincorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to membrane filtration systemsand more particularly to seals used in spiral membrane elements offiltration systems.

2. Description of Related Art

Certain types of filtration systems used for removing chemicalcontaminants and organisms from water comprise one or more filtrationelements that are sealed within an enclosure. The enclosure may comprisea canister, a drum and/or a pipe. In particular, filtration systems usedfor large-scale water treatment can include a series of elements thatconnect together within a pipe like structure and which direct an inflowof contaminated or impure water through a filter material and onto anoutflow pipe or channel. In the example shown in FIG. 1, filtrationelement 11 in a spiral membrane filtration system comprises a membranestructure that is wound in a spiral. In FIG. 1, permeate carrier sheet18 is laminated within an envelope of a membrane filtration sheet 19 andadjacent layers are separated by feed spacers 101 and typically enclosedwithin a hard shell or wrapping to prevent leakage of the inflow and toprovide a degree of mechanical stability and strength to filtrationelement 11. Filtration elements, such as spiral membrane filtrationelement 11, are typically provided in a substantially cylindrical formand one or more filtration elements 11 can be installed end-on-endwithin a housing 10 (as shown in FIG. 1C). An inflow fluid 140 isintroduced through an inlet under pressure into an end of the system,and enters filtration element 11 at one end 140 and, having passedthrough membrane 19, exits either as a permeate stream 143, typicallythrough a center pipe or channel 13, or as a concentrate stream 144which exits from the membrane filtration device. The center pipe 13 istypically coaxial with the enclosure 10 and coupled or otherwiseconnected with the membrane 19 in a manner that permits collection ofthe permeate 143. Permeate 143 can be drawn from the system in eitherdirection.

These filtration elements function as membrane filters. Unlikeconventional batch mode filtration systems, the described filtrationsystem operates as continuous steady state process. As such the total ofall material entering in the feed stream 15 is substantially equal tothe summation of all material leaving the filtration device in the twoexit streams 143 and 144. Such systems may be used in applications thatdeliver drinking water, clean or treat wastewater and/or storm water,extract water from sludge, and/or desalinate water such as sea water; inthese applications, the dilute permeate stream 143 is the principalproduct of the system. Conversely the concentrate stream 144 may providethe principal product where the objective is to recover or concentrate avaluable solute.

Spiral membrane elements 11 are used as a means of packaging flat sheet,reverse osmosis membrane 19 in useful separation applications. Theseelements are typically loaded end to end in a cylindrical housing 10 asshown in FIG. 1C. Process feed flow 140 is introduced at one end of thehousing and flows axially 141 through the element 11, with some portion142 passing through the filter medium 19 to a center collection channelor pipe system 13 from which it is provided as an outflow 143. Theconcentrated remnant 144 is drawn from a first element 11 into a secondelement 11 and so on. Concentrate 144 extracted from the system can beprocessed externally and/or recycled through the system based on systemconfiguration and function. It is necessary to provide a sealingmechanism between successive spiral elements 11 that insures concentratestream 144 from the first element 11 is passed as a feed stream 140 tothe subsequent spiral membrane filtration element 11.

This sealing mechanism can be accomplished using seal plates 12 (shownin more detail in FIG. 1B) that are attached to each end of each spiralelement 11. In conventional systems, elastomeric seals are placed in agroove 16 located on an external edge of seal plate 12, in order toprevent escape of fluid into a space between element 11 and housing orvessel 10. Couplings 130 connect successive center channels 13 aretypically also sealed using elastomeric seals.

An additional seal 120 may be required between the spiral element 11 andthe inner wall of the cylindrical housing 10 to direct the flow 140 intothe element 11 itself rather than the annular space between the element11 and the housing 10. If the flow 140 were not directed primarily intothe element structure the velocity of the feed flow over the membranesheet would be reduced which would impact the separation performance ofthe membrane sheet. Conventional systems provide an elastomeric seal ina circumferential grooved depression 16 located on the outer surface ofa seal plate 12 as shown in sectional FIG. 2A. A commonly usedelastomeric seal 24 is shaped in a cup form as shown in FIG. 2B whichcreates an effective seal but requires that the element be inserted intothe housing in one direction as the seal cannot be pushed a reversedirection. A symmetrical elastomeric seal such as an O-ring 26 could beused within the element seal late groove as sown in FIG. 2C. Thispermits movement in either direction but relies on a greater amount ofdeformation of elastomeric seal in order to function as an effectiveseal. This results in greater force needed to insert the element intothe cylindrical housing and is the principal reason for the preferencefor the cupped shaped elastomeric seal.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A radial seal for a filtration system comprises one or more annulushaving an outer circumference and an inner circumference and athickness. Each annulus may have a diameter of the inner circumferencethat fits in a groove in an outer surface of a seal plate and eachannulus has a diameter of the outer circumference selected to be largerthan the diameter of an inner surface of a cylindrical housing thatreceives the seal plate. A gap in the annulus of the ring centered alonga radius of the at least one annulus has a width selected to enable theannular element to deform sufficiently to permit insertion of the atleast one annulus into the cylindrical housing.

The inner and outer diameters of the annuli and the width of the gap maybe selected to obtain a tight fit between the outer circumference of theat least one annulus and the inner surface of the cylindrical housing.The tight fit is maintained by a restoring force reactive to compressionof the annular element, the magnitude of the restoring force beingrelated to the width of the gap and the materials used to fabricate theat least one annulus. The width of the gap can be selected to permit acontrolled degree of leakage when an annulus is installed in the grooveand the seal plate is inserted in the cylindrical housing.

In some embodiments, the seal comprises two or more annuli configuredsuch that the gaps of the annuli are misaligned when the annuli areinstalled in the groove, thereby minimizing leakage in operation. Aregistration system includes a registration element that cooperates witha registration element of the other annulus to ensure misalignment ofthe gaps of the pair of annuli. The registration system can comprise araised element provided on a surface of one of pair of annuli that fitsin the gap of an adjacent annulus and/or a raised element provided on asurface of one of pair of annuli that fits in a groove provided on asurface of an adjacent annulus.

Methods for sealing a spiral membrane element inserted into acylindrical housing of a filtration system are provided. A methodaccording to certain aspects of the invention includes steps ofproviding at least one split ring seal in a groove located on an outersurface of a seal plate of the spiral membrane element, inserting theseal ring into the cylindrical housing, including inserting the sealring includes a step of compressing the at least one split ring seal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1C illustrates a filtration system that includes a plurality ofsealed filtration elements.

FIG. 2A shows a groove provided in a seal plate and FIGS. 2B-2C showprior art elastomeric seals provided in groove of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A shows a seal element according to certain aspects of theinvention.

FIG. 3B shows a profile of seal element of FIG. 3A.

FIGS. 4A and 4B shows, in cross-section, one or more seal elementsaccording to certain aspects of the invention provided in the groove ofa seal plate.

FIGS. 5A-5D show examples of split ring seals with a variety of gapprofiles according to certain aspects of the invention.

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the annularseal suitable for installation in a groove of a seal plate.

FIGS. 7A-7C show examples of seals having compound gap profilesaccording to certain aspects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detailwith reference to the drawings, which are provided as illustrativeexamples so as to enable those skilled in the art to practice theinvention. Notably, the figures and examples below are not meant tolimit the scope of the present invention to a single embodiment, butother embodiments are possible by way of interchange of some or all ofthe described or illustrated elements. Wherever convenient, the samereference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to sameor like parts. Where certain elements of these embodiments can bepartially or fully implemented using known components, only thoseportions of such known components that are necessary for anunderstanding of the present invention will be described, and detaileddescriptions of other portions of such known components will be omittedso as not to obscure the invention. In the present specification, anembodiment showing a singular component should not be consideredlimiting; rather, the invention is intended to encompass otherembodiments including a plurality of the same component, and vice-versa,unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. Moreover, applicants do notintend for any term in the specification or claims to be ascribed anuncommon or special meaning unless explicitly set forth as such.Further, the present invention encompasses present and future knownequivalents to the components referred to herein by way of illustration.

Certain embodiments of the invention provide a seal element forfiltration systems. The presently disclosed seal can be constructed withdimensions that allow it to serve as a substitute for conventionalelastomeric seals, including O-ring, chevron and U cup seals and thelike. With reference again to FIGS. 1A-1C, certain embodiments of theinvention comprise a split-ring seal that may be fitted to aconventional seal plate 12, in a radial groove 16 that would otherwisereceive a compressible elastomeric seal. As will be described in moredetail below, the presently disclosed split ring seal is typicallyconstructed using materials selected for rigidity, elasticity,inertness, ability to withstand operational temperature ranges, abilityto withstand operational pressures and coefficient of friction withmaterials used in construction of a filtration system (e.g. innersurface of housing 10). Materials can be selected according to theapplication and, for example, seals constructed according to certainaspects of the invention can be used in 8-inch or 16-inch filtrationsystems in which conventional elastomeric seals are unable to withstandthe water pressures involved.

In one example described herein, an annular seal 30 (see FIGS. 3A and3B), formed from a substantially non-compressible polymer, can be placedin a groove 16 of an outer surface of a seal plate 12. The seal 30 has agap 32 in its annulus and the annular shape can be deformed underpressure by applying a force that closes gap 32. Such force is appliedwhen seal plate 12, with seal 30 installed, is inserted into a housing10. Seal 30 acts as a spring, causing an outer surface of ring 30 tocreate a tight interface with an inner surface of the housing 10. Someportion of gap 32 in ring seal 30 may remain open when seal plate 12 islocated within housing 10. In some embodiments, such gap is desirablebecause, if sized appropriately, gap 32 can limit and/or equalizepressure differences on either side of seal 30. In certain embodimentshowever, a more watertight seal is desired and a second split-ring seal30 may be placed in groove 16 such that the gaps 32 in seals 30 areoffset. Other variations on the latter theme will be described in moredetail herein.

FIGS. 3A-3B and 4A-4B relate to a simple example of a seal according tocertain aspects of the invention. The annular seal of FIGS. 3A-3B and4A-4B can be fitted to an outer portion 40 of a seal plate 12 and/or canbe used to create a seal between concentric elements, typically betweensubstantially cylindrical surfaces of the elements. Seal 30 can be usedas a replacement for conventional elastomeric seals. For example, thedimensions of rigid ring 30 can be configured to permit ring 30 toreplace conventional O-ring or U-cup seals commonly installed in radialgrooves 16 in seal plates 12 of spiral membrane filtration elements.Width 38 of the ring seal 30 may be selected to permit a desired numberof seals 30 to be placed in groove 16 of existing seal plates 12. FIG.4A shows an embodiment in which a single seal 420 is disposed in groove42, while FIG. 4B relates to an embodiment in which two rings 421 and422 are provided within groove 42. Split ring seal 30 can also be usedin more demanding applications where, for example, the seal 30 will besubjected to high temperatures and/or high pressures, or where thepresence of caustic agents requires the use of a non-reactive sealingmaterial. In one example, pressures within a spiral membrane filtrationsystem may preclude the use of certain conventional elastomeric seals.Elastomeric seals commonly used in four-inch diameter spiral membranesystems typically cannot be scaled to operate in 8-inch or 16-inchsystems because of the increase operational pressures and because of theincreased difficulty of installation and removal of sealed elementscaused by exponentially increased frictional forces attributable to theincrease in contact area of the conventional elastomeric seal with ahousing 10.

Certain embodiments of the invention comprise a rigid split-ring seal 30suitable for use in filtration systems. Seal plates 12 are generallycircular in shape, somewhat resembling a wheel, and are configured forinsertion into a cylindrical housing 10. A portion 40 of seal plate 12has an externally, facing radial surface 46 proximate to, andinterfacing with an inner surface of enclosure 44. Currently-producedseal plates 40 typically include a groove 42 in externally-facingsurface 46 of seal plate 40. A rigid ring 30, 420-422 constructedaccording to certain aspects of the invention may be installed in suchseal plate groove 42. Prior to insertion, the rigid ring 30 cantypically be rotated in either direction about the axis 14 of the sealplate 12 (see FIGS. 1A-1C) and gap 32 can be oriented and/or alignedwith a feature of the seal plate 12 or housing 10, as desired. The sealplate 12 with seal 30 may be inserted into either end of a cylindricalhousing 10 and can be moved along the axis of the cylindrical housing 10in either direction. It will be appreciated that seal 30 may have acoating or other surface treatment that provides a desired coefficientof friction. Seal 30 can be configured to fit a seal plate 12 that has anon-circular shape and some seals 30 may be used with different shapedseal plates including, for example, circular and oval seal plates, or asomewhat asymmetrical seal plate. In one example, seal 30 may beinstalled in a groove 16 on a declining radius surface (not shown) andseal ring 30 may have a cross-section that follows the shape of asurface of the seal plate 12 and/or the housing 10.

Seal ring 30 is typically constructed from a non-elastomeric materialthat substantially maintains its cross-sectional shape (e.g. FIG. 3B)under pressure and when a compression force as radially applied to theannulus 30. Under compression, gap 32 in seal ring 30 is reduced when aradial compression force is applied to the seal ring and seal ring 30 istypically configured and constructed with sufficient elasticity toresist closure of gap 32 and to restore its original at-rest annularshape when compression forces are removed. For example, hard and/orhardened polymers, metals, ceramics and other such materials can be usedto construct seal ring 30. It will be appreciated that conventionalelastomeric seals maximize sealing capabilities by deforming undercompression such that the cross-sectional area of the elastomeric sealchanges. However, the deformation of conventional elastomeric sealsunder pressure can limit motion of the seal plate 12 and seal assemblywithin housing 10 to a single direction. Cross section 20 of seal plate12 is shown in FIG. 2A-2C. Deformation of a conventional elastomeric cupseal 24 (see FIG. 2B) during insertion typically creates very highresistance to movement in a reverse direction because of the orientationof the U cup legs. The force required to overcome the resistance ofconventional elastomeric seals is often insurmountable without causingdestruction of these seals. Therefore, a filtration element 11 in anassembled multi-element filtration system (see FIGS. 1A-1C), when fittedwith conventional cup seals 24 and inserted into a housing 10 in onedirection, can be practicably removed only by forcing the elementscompletely through the housing in the same direction as used forinsertion. Deformation of an O-ring seal 26 typically increases thesurface area of seal 26 in contact with the enclosure 10. Therefore, anassembled multi-element structure (see FIGS. 1A-1C), when fitted with0-ring seals 26 and inserted into a housing, require significant forceto insert and remove the elements into the housing.

In contrast, annular seals 30 constructed according to certain aspectsof the invention typically do not restrict motion in any directionparallel to axis 14 of seal plate 12. Furthermore, seal 30 can beconstructed from a low-friction material and/or the surfaces of seal 30can be coated or treated in order to reduce frictional forcesexperienced during insertion and removal of the element. Consequently, amulti-element component may be inserted and extracted with greater easethrough the same end of a housing when rigid ring seals 30 according tocertain aspects of the invention are used. Moreover, rigid seal rings 30according to certain aspects of the invention resist deformation underaxial pressure from either direction. Accordingly, filtration elementsemploying the split ring seals 30 disclosed herein can receive andresist bidirectional flows, including reverse flows provided forflushing, cleaning and for other reasons. Conventional seals, includingU-cup and chevron seals (see FIG. 2B) often cannot resist reverse flowsand must be replaced or reoriented for flushing.

Seal plates 10 that use conventional elastomeric seals requiresignificantly greater force for insertion of the seal plate because ofthe deformation of the seal material required to form a seal, the angleof engagement of the elastomeric seal, the significant contact pressurerequired to maintain a seal using elastomeric seals and/or increasedcontact area of the elastomeric seals. In one example, a seven elementcomponent equipped with conventional seal U-cup brine seals 24 (withlubrication) can require the equivalent of 45 pounds of force or more toinsert the elements into a housing. It can be shown that an equivalentseven element component fitted with the presently disclosed rigid ringseals 30 can be inserted into a housing using 20 pounds or less offorce.

In certain embodiments, dimensions of rigid ring 30 are selected toobtain an efficient seal. The outer diameter 34 of rigid ring 30 istypically selected to be slightly larger than the internal diameter ofthe cylindrical housing 10, while inner diameter 36 of the annulus 30 isselected to provide a good fit within the groove 42 of seal plate 40.Thickness 38 of annulus 30 may be selected according to application andto fit a desired number of ring seals 30 in the groove 42 to obtain adesired level of tightness of seal. In certain embodiments, more thanone ring seal 421 and 422 can be provided in groove 42 for sealing sealplate 40. Multiple ring configurations (FIG. 4B) may be used with gapsin rings 421 and 422 offset from one another to minimize leakage throughthe seal structure. Multiple ring configurations (FIG. 4B) may be usedsuch that rings 421 and 422 have different thicknesses. In someembodiments, multiple ring configurations comprise different rings 421and 422 manufactured from different materials.

As seen in FIG. 3, a small portion is removed from the annulus ring 30to leave a gap 32 in the annulus 30. Gap 32 in rigid split ring 30 tendsto close when the ring 30 is compressed to enable insertion into thecylindrical housing 10. The size and shape of the gap 32 can be selectedto allow the ring to minimize the gap 32 when the ring is compressed tofit into the cylindrical housing 10. Factors affecting the selection ofthe size of gap 32 include specified or expected operational temperatureswings and coefficients of expansion of materials used to construct thering 30. Typically, the cross-section 300 of ring 30 does not deformsignificantly under compression and the force of compression isaccommodated by a change in diameter of the ring 30. It is contemplatedthat, in certain embodiments, it can be desirable to have at least onering 420, 421 or 422 constructed from materials that include a portionof a deformable material where, for example, it is necessary toaccommodate shrinkage and expansion under temperature or pressure and asofter, more deformable ring 421 or 422 can be coupled with a stronger,more rigid ring 422 or 421 to provide a combination of pressureresistance and malleability under operational conditions.

Compression of the rigid ring 30 creates a reactive radial force thatcauses the ring 30 to maintain contact of the ring with the outer wallof the cylindrical housing 10, thereby creating a seal. This reactiveforce can create a resistive drag force that resists movement of theseal plate along the axis of the cylindrical housing 10. The amount ofreactive force can be controlled by selection of the materials used toconstruct the rigid ring and by dimensioning the rigid ring. Forexample, the thickness of the ring 30 and the outer 34 and inner 36diameters of the annulus 30 can be selected to obtain a desired reactiveforce. The reactive force and resistivity of material of ring 30 may beselected to permit a certain amount of movement of seal and/or sealplate in order to adjust to expansion and/or compression, of cylindricalhousing 10 or the sealed spiral element.

Gap Profiles

The profile of gap 32 may be selected to control flow of fluids past thering seal 30. Leakage through ring seal 30 typically results in aportion of the unfiltered or contaminated inflow fluid (process feed)passing through the space between successive filtration elements 11 andthe system housing 10. Some systems comprise a radial seal installedonly on the seal plate 12 of the first filtration element 11 in a seriesof filtration elements in order to direct the inflow through thefiltration elements 11. Downstream seal plates 12 of adjacent filtrationelements prevent leakage from the filtration elements 11 into the spacebetween filtration elements 11 and the system housing 10. Unfilteredfluid in the space can be removed and recycled through the system asdesired. It can be desirable to allow a degree of leakage through theradial seal 30 into the space to reduce stress on wrapping or shell ofthe filtration elements caused by a difference in pressure between thespace and the interior of the filtration elements 11. Therefore, theprofile of gap 32 may be selected to obtain and control a level ofleakage that operates to equalize pressure within the system.

As shown in FIG. 5A, some embodiments provide a square gap 50 in annulus30. The shape of square gap 50 is obtained by providing squared ends 500and 501 of annulus 30. Square gap 50 is aligned with a direction of flow(illustrated as arrowed line 58) of fluids through a filtration system.It will be appreciated that the square gap is also perpendicular to theradius of the seal plate and parallel to an axis 14 (FIGS. 1A-1C) of theseal plate 12. FIG. 5B illustrates an angled gap 52 in which the ends520 and 521 of annulus 30 are cut at an angle selected to provide anoverlap of the ends. The angle of cut used for ends 520 and 521 may beselected to accommodate the expected level of expansion/compression ofseal ring 30 under operational temperature ranges. FIG. 5C shows asimplified compound gap 54. Annulus 30 has overlapping step-shaped ends540 and 541 that are typically configured to provide an overlapregardless of whether the annulus 30 is under compression or at rest.Accordingly, compound gap 54 provides at least two gaps 542 and 544 thatare offset along the circumference of annulus 30. Gaps 542 and 544 maybe connected by a channel 543. Under typical operating pressures, gapprovided by channel 543 is typically negligible, because ends 540 and541 are typically forced into contact and consequently the width ofchannel 543 may be defined by the texture and planarity of the surfacesof ends 540 and 541 and the presence of discontinuities, grease, dirt orother particles on those surfaces. Accordingly, a configuration such asthose shown in FIGS. 5B-5D may be referred to as discontinuities in theannulus because a gap may be effectively closed in these configurationsunder operating conditions. FIG. 6, which will be described in moredetail below, depicts an embodiment of the invention comprising anannular seal 60 with a compound gap/discontinuity 62 in the shape of astep. As discussed below, the performance of annular seal 60 has beenshown to meet or surpass the performance of an equivalent elastomericseal under the same conditions. FIG. 5D shows a dual ring sealconfiguration 56 that can be used to minimize leakage. As shown, theannular seals of the dual ring configuration 56 have angular gaps 52,but square gap 50 and step gap 54 profiles can also be used as desiredor required by the application.

From the perspective of process feed flow, gap 50, 52 or 54 presents adiscontinuity in a seal ring 30 that can give rise to leakage, allowingprocess feed to flow “through” the seal ring 30. Accordingly, certainembodiments of the invention employ a plurality of seal rings 46, asshown in FIG. 4B (see also FIG. 5D), which are assembled to obtain amore complete seal. Various schemes for overlapping the seal ring may beused to ensure that gap size is minimized and/or maximizes resistance toflow of the process feed. For example, seal rings 421 and 422 may beangularly offset to eliminate or minimize respective gaps 32 in the sealrings 421 and 422. Offset in a multiple ring seal configuration may bemaintained using registration elements such as a protrusion in a firstseal ring 421 that mates with corresponding indentations in an adjacentseal ring 422. Other registration elements may engage with gaps 32 inthe seal rings 421 and 422. In certain embodiments, an offset in therelative locations of gaps 32 in seal rings 421 and 422 may bemaintained by permanently or temporarily bonding seal rings 421 and 422.

FIG. 6 depicts an embodiment of the present invention that can beconfigured for use in spiral membrane filtration systems. Asubstantially rigid annular seal 60 is fabricated from a hard polymerselected to withstand temperatures and pressures associated withfiltration systems having 4, 8 or 16 inch filtration elements. Theannulus 600 of seal 60 has a discontinuity 62 formed at the intersectionof two overlapping step-shaped ends 64 and 65 of annulus 600, asdepicted in detail 63. Before compression of annular seal 60, the stepsof ends 64 and 65 partially overlap, leaving gaps 66 and 67 in surfaces(only surface 630 shown) on opposite sides of annulus 61. The distanceof overlap 68 is selected to minimize leakage while maintain mechanicalstrength of annulus 61. Upon compression, gaps 66 and 67 tend to close,allowing the diameter of annular seal 60 to be reduced. For the purposesof this discussion, each end 64 and 65 is shown to have a single step.However, certain embodiments of the invention comprise an annulus thathas multi-stepped ends 64 and 65. Annular seal 60 can be placed in agroove 16 in a seal plate 12 prior to insertion of the seal plate 12into a housing 10. The step shaped discontinuity 62 in annular seal 60allows reconfiguration of the annular geometry measurable as changes inradius and circumference of annular seal 60 when the annular seal 60 iscompressed after the seal plate 12 is inserted into the housing. Incertain embodiments, step profile discontinuity 62 may have a channelbetween gaps 66 and 67 prior to operation. When seal ring 60 is fittedto an groove 16 of a seal plate 10 and inserted within a housing 10, oneor both of gaps 66 and 67 are reduced in size and when pressurized fluidflows through the filtration element, steps of ends 64 and 65 arepressed together closing any channel, with a net impact of improvedsealing when under pressure.

With reference also to FIGS. 7A and 7B, certain embodiments comprise anoffset step gap configuration, where each side of the gap has a compoundand/or complex stepped configuration as shown generally at 70. Stepconfiguration 70 can be constructed using two identical annular seals 72and 73 that have a step gap 54 (see FIG. 5C). One of the two annularrings 72 flipped relative to the other seal ring 73 and the step gaps 54are aligned. FIG. 7B illustrates one side 72 and 73 of each annular sealstep gap 54 in detail. If not a single molded piece, the two annularseals can be bonded or glued to obtain the complex step configuration70. As depicted, two different vertical risers 74 and 75 are used in thestep. Accordingly, when flipped and bonded, overlaps are provided withinthe gap and a tortuous path is presented to fluid attempting to flowthrough the gap. This tortuous path can significantly reduce leakagethrough the gap. In some embodiments, an annular seal having the complexstep gap of FIG. 7A can be provided in a molded ring or by machiningand/or cutting a single ring 71 formed by extrusion, stamping or byother suitable means known to those with skill in the art.

FIG. 7C depicts, generally at 76, a variation of the steppedconfiguration by providing a step in both radial and axial directions.In the depicted example, one end 761 has a post 78 that is configured tofit a mating indentation or tunnel 77 in a second end 760 Typically, thepost 78 rests within tunnel 77 and FIG. 7C shows ends 760 and 761 in apulled-apart configuration. It will be appreciated that such“post-and-hole” and/or “pin-and-hole” configuration may provide improvedaxial and radial strength to the split ring seal, but may be susceptibleto greater leakage or bypass flow.

In certain embodiments, a degree of bypass flow may be desirable torelieve and/or equalize pressure, particularly during system startup. Itwill be appreciated that certain conventional spiral elements aresupplied with weep/bleed holes or grooves located within seal plate tocreate a controlled amount of flow past the conventional elastomericseals. It will be appreciated that certain aspects of the inventionremove the need for such holes and grooves because the described novelseals can be structured to obtained a desired degree of leakage withinthe seal itself. For this purpose the separation performance of themembrane element is used as the primary criterion. Therefore if tworadial seals give substantially the same separation performance theamount of bypass flow can be assumed to be insignificant.

A plurality of seal rings may be mounted in the same groove 42 tominimize or eliminate leakage. Multiple split ring seals 46 can beincluded within the grooved depression 42 of the seal plate 40 as shownin detail in FIG. 4B, in which two adjacent rings 46 reside within thegroove 42 of the seal plate 40. As shown in FIG. 5D, the gaps 54 and 56of adjacent rings can be oriented in opposite directions. Thecombination of multiple rings 30 and the design of gap overlap canprovide an effective measure of control over amount of flow that canpass through combinations of ring gaps 32. Overlap can be maintainedusing registration methods that serve to lock two or more rings 30 withrespect to one another and/or with respect to the groove 42 of the sealplate 40. Registration may be used to ensure that gaps 42 do not line upthrough the depth of the entire seal. Registration may be maintainedusing hydrodynamic surfaces, pins and holes, bumps and dents, friction,slots, grooves and other such methods. In one example, a raised surface,pin or tab may be provided on a surface of one ring that can engage thegap of a neighboring ring such that the gaps of the two rings aremisaligned and have no overlap.

Additional Descriptions of Certain Aspects of the Invention

The foregoing descriptions of the invention are intended to beillustrative and not limiting. For example, those skilled in the artwill appreciate that the invention can be practiced with variouscombinations of the functionalities and capabilities described above,and can include fewer or additional components than described above.Certain additional aspects and features of the invention are further setforth below, and can be obtained using the functionalities andcomponents described in more detail above, as will be appreciated bythose skilled in the art after being taught by this disclosure.

Certain embodiments of the invention provide a radial seal for afiltration system. Some of these embodiments comprise one or moreannulus having an outer circumference and an inner circumference and athickness. In some of these embodiments, each annulus has a diameter ofthe inner circumference selected to fit in a groove in an outer surfaceof a seal plate. In some of these embodiments, each annulus has adiameter of the outer circumference selected to be larger than thediameter of an inner surface of a cylindrical housing that receives theseal plate. In some of these embodiments, each annulus has a gap in theannulus of the ring centered along a radius of the at least one annulus.In some of these embodiments, this gap has a width selected to enablethe annular element to deform sufficiently to permit insertion of the atleast one annulus into the cylindrical housing.

In some of these embodiments, the inner and outer diameters of theannuli and the width of the gap are selected to obtain a tight fitbetween the outer circumference of the at least one annulus and theinner surface of the cylindrical housing. In some of these embodiments,a tight fit is maintained by a restoring force reactive to compressionof the annular element. In some of these embodiments, the magnitude ofthe restoring force is related to the width of the gap and the materialsused to fabricate the at least one annulus. In some of theseembodiments, the width of the gap is selected to permit a maximum degreeof leakage when an annulus is installed in the groove and the seal plateis inserted in the cylindrical housing.

In some of these embodiments, the seal comprises two or more annuli. Insome of these embodiments, the annuli are configured such that the gapsof the annuli are misaligned when the annuli are installed in thegroove, thereby minimizing leakage in operation. Some of theseembodiments comprise a registration system. In some of theseembodiments, each annulus in a pair of adjacent annuli includes aregistration element that cooperates with a registration element of theother annulus to ensure misalignment of the gaps of the pair of annuli.In some of these embodiments, the registration system comprises a raisedelement provided on a surface of one of pair of annuli that fits in thegap of an adjacent annulus. In some of these embodiments, theregistration system comprises a raised element provided on a surface ofone of pair of annuli that fits in a groove provided on a surface of anadjacent annulus. In some of these embodiments, an annulus is fabricatedfrom a metal. In some of these embodiments, at least one annulus isfabricated from a polymer.

Certain embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods forsealing a spiral membrane element inserted into a cylindrical housing ofa filtration system. Some of these embodiments comprise a step ofproviding at least one split ring seal in a groove located on an outersurface of a seal plate of the spiral membrane element. In some of theseembodiments, the split ring seal has an outer diameter exceeding thediameter of an inner surface of the cylindrical housing. Some of theseembodiments comprise the step of inserting the seal ring into thecylindrical housing. In some of these embodiments, inserting the sealring includes a step of compressing the at least one split ring seal.

In some of these embodiments, a gap in the split ring has a widthselected to enable the annular element to deform in response to thecompressing step sufficient to enable the at least one split ring sealto fit within the cylindrical housing. In some of these embodiments, thewidth of the gap is selected to permit a maximum degree of leakage whenthe at least one annulus is installed in the groove and the seal plateis inserted in the cylindrical housing. In some of these embodiments,the at least one split ring seal comprises a plurality of split ringseals. Some of these embodiments comprise the step of aligning each ofthe plurality of split ring seals to avoid an overlap of gaps ofadjacent split rings, thereby minimizing leakage in operation. In someof these embodiments, the step of aligning includes using registrationelements provided on each split ring seal to configure the alignment ofadjacent pairs of spilt ring seals. In some of these embodiments, theregistration elements include one or more of a groove, a pin, a hole anda slot.

Certain embodiments of the invention provide a split-ring seal formaintaining a seal between a filtration element and a housing of afiltration system. Certain of these embodiments comprise a rigid annulushaving a discontinuity therein. In certain embodiments, the annulus hasan inner diameter selected to allow the annulus to fit a groove providedin an outer surface of the filtration element. In certain embodiments,the annulus has an outer diameter is selected to be larger than thediameter of an inner surface of the housing. In certain embodiments, thediscontinuity accommodates a reduction of inner and outer diameters ofthe annulus in response to a compressive force received during insertionof the filtration element into the housing. In certain embodiments, theannulus is configured to resist changes in its cross-sectional profilein response to the compressive force. In certain embodiments, thediscontinuity comprises a step shaped channel in the annulus wherein thestep shaped channel is substantially closed under pressure of an axialflow of fluid through the filtration system. In certain embodiments, thediscontinuity is formed by the overlap of two step shaped ends formed inthe annulus. In certain embodiments, the annulus is configured tomaintain the seal between the filtration element and the housing and toresist an axial flow of fluid through the filtration system regardlessof direction of the axial flow. In certain embodiments, the sealoperates to resist bypass of a fluid around the filtration element andinto a space between the filtration element and the housing duringfiltration. In certain embodiments, the seal operates to resist bypassof a flushing fluid around the filtration element and into the spacebetween the filtration element and the housing during cleaning.

Certain embodiments of the invention comprise a seal ring having somecombination of the above-described elements. The seal ring may bedeployed within a filtration element in a filtration system used tofilter and/or treat water, waste water, storm water, potable andnon-potable water, and juices. Filtration system may comprise a spiralmembrane filtration system, a reverse osmosis system for home orcommercial use and or other filtration system that houses a filtrationelement in a pipe, canister, or other vessel or conduit. In someembodiments, the filtration system may be used for filtering andtreating other fluids in chemical and industrial applications.

Although the present invention has been described with reference tospecific exemplary embodiments, it will be evident to one of ordinaryskill in the art that various modifications and changes may be made tothese embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope ofthe invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to beregarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A filtration system comprising: a cylindricalhousing; and spiral membrane elements inserted into the cylindricalhousing, wherein a given spiral membrane element has a membrane wound ina spiral, a seal plate having a groove located on an outer surface ofthe seal plate, and at least one split ring seal placed in the groove,the split ring seal including an annulus and a gap, and the given spiralmembrane element can be moved along an axis of the cylindrical housingin either direction.
 2. The filtration system according to claim 1,wherein the spiral membrane element can be moved along an axis of thecylindrical housing in either direction without destruction of thesplit-ring seal.
 3. The filtration system according to claim 1, whereina leakage through the split ring seal is allowed.
 4. The filtrationsystem according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of split ring seals isplaced in the groove.
 5. The filtration system of claim 4, whereinindividual ones of the plurality of the split ring seals are aligned toavoid an overlap of gaps of adjacent split rings.
 6. A spiral membraneelement comprising: a membrane wound in a spiral; a seal plate having agroove located on an outer surface of the seal plate; and at least onesplit ring seal placed in the groove, the split ring seal including anannulus and a gap.
 7. The spiral membrane element according to claim 6,wherein the gap having a width selected to enable the annulus to deform.8. The spiral membrane element according to claim 6, wherein a pluralityof the split ring seals is placed in the groove.
 9. The spiral membraneelement according to claim 7, wherein individual ones of the pluralityof split ring seals are aligned to avoid an overlap of gaps of adjacentsplit rings.
 10. The spiral membrane element of claim 2, wherein thesplit ring seal is constructed from a non-elastomeric material.